Rifle-barrel.



s'rns ze BEN HOLTEB., OF HITEFISH, IMONTFANA.`

RIFLE-BARREL.

Application led May 8, 1918.

To all whom. t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BEN HOLTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Whitefish, in the county of Flathead and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improred Rifle-Barrel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to rifle barrels, such as shown and described in the Letters Patn ent of the United States, No. 1,230,712, granted to me June 19, 1917.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rilie barrel arranged to reduce the mechanical friction between the wall of the bore of the barrel and the projectile to a minimum, thus increasing the velocity of the projectile. Another object is to provide a complete occlusion thus preserving the form and smoothness of the wallV of the bore.

In order to produce the desired result, the wall of the bore is formed of lands in the form of chords of a circle alternating with lands in the form of arcs of the same circle.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the muzzle end of the rifle barrel;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 '1s an enlarged end view of a portion of the barrel.

The barrel 10 is provided with a bore 11, the wall of which is in the forni of alternating lands 12 and 13, of which the lands 12 are in the form of arcs of a circle 14 while the lands 13 are in the form of chords of the said circle 1-1. The width of the arc lands 12 is uniform and likewise the width of the chord lands 13, but the width of the arc lands may be alike or more or less than that of the chord lands 13. Thus, as shown in the drawings, the width of the arc lands 12 is less than the width of the chord lands 13.

In making the bore 11 a rapid twist is given to the lands in excess of that usually found in the bore of rifle barrels as now Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. c, lois.

Serial N0. 233,293.

generally constructed. By constructing the rifle barrel in the manner described the mechanical friction between the wall of the bore 11 and the projectile is reduced to a minimum thus increasing the velocity of the projectile. Owing to the lessened mechanical friction of the passage of the bullet or projectile through the bore the defect known as metal fouling is elin'iinated, that is, the deposition of the metal from the bullet or projectile on the surface of the bore is entirely avoided. It will further be noticed that the occlusion of the gases generated by the explosion of the charge is complete thus eliminating a trouble that usually arises from the erosion of the inner surface of barrels as now constructed and which erosion is commonly called gas cutting. It will also be seen that by the construction described and shown sharp angles between the lands and grooves, such as are generally found in barrels as heretofore constructed, are eliminated and hence the bore can be readily cleaned. On account of the increased rate of rotation of the projectile owing to the rapid twist of the lands, a great increase of gyroscopic stability is obtained.

It is understood that the number of alternating arc lands and chord lands may be varied to suit the caliber and the projectile to be used for any rifle barrel, and hence I do not limit myself to the number of lands shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A rifle barrel having the wall of its bore composed of alternating lands of which one is in the form of a chord of a circle and the other in the form of an arc of the same circle.

2. A rifle barrel having the wall of its bore composed of a plurality of lands in the form of chords of a circle and of uniform width, alternating with lands in the form of an arc of the same circle and of uniform width.

3. A rifle barrel having the wall of its bore composed of a plurality of lands in the form of chords of a circle and of uniform Wdth,'a,1te,rnating with lands in the form ,0f .can aroofthe S21-me rclend of unifolgrjny ..`W, d th, thehsad lands having a rapid twist. Y n Y v ,5 4. A ria' Vbarrel havlg'thewvall of its bore composed of a plultyfo'flands VinV the form of chords of a Circle and of uniform Width, :altrnatngwth landsjn the f ormwf zmllavlycfof ythe same circle and of uniform Width, the said are lands varying 10 n'wdth relative to the'sad chordY lands.

BEN' HOLTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve"cents'cadh,`by addressing the` Commissioner of Patents, 

